Why you shouldn't give cyclist a wide berth when passing
Discussion
julian64 said:
An important question. Why do a minority group of cyclist behave In this way. I think the answer might be a combo of the following.
1) These cyclist see themselves as having an equal rights as cars. They consider that if you pass them in any way differently to the way you would pass an HGV then you are at fault. Read any online cyclist forum and they will talk to you about 'commanding the roadspace', and not cycling near the curb, but cycling in the middle of the road and allowing other cars to overtake when they are happy rather than leaving it up to the car to decide. This is completely at odds with highway codes suggestions of facilitating overtakes.
2) These cyclists see themselves as vigilantes at the top of the cycling food chain, and see it as their right to play policeman, such as the need to wear go-pros, and generally tell other road users off.
3) And lastly. There is no effective legislation against cyclists. You can't report them because they can't be identified. They are the vulnerable one rather than the car so prosecution would be difficult, and the same legislation applied to the lycra warriors would have to be applied to small children on tricycles which would be absurd.
Its a tricky one to sort, and you can see how tricky when people immediately pour scorn on anyone who highlights it as a problem, and immediately jump to defend even quite ridiculously unacceptable cycling behaviour.
Not sure its anything like that1) These cyclist see themselves as having an equal rights as cars. They consider that if you pass them in any way differently to the way you would pass an HGV then you are at fault. Read any online cyclist forum and they will talk to you about 'commanding the roadspace', and not cycling near the curb, but cycling in the middle of the road and allowing other cars to overtake when they are happy rather than leaving it up to the car to decide. This is completely at odds with highway codes suggestions of facilitating overtakes.
2) These cyclists see themselves as vigilantes at the top of the cycling food chain, and see it as their right to play policeman, such as the need to wear go-pros, and generally tell other road users off.
3) And lastly. There is no effective legislation against cyclists. You can't report them because they can't be identified. They are the vulnerable one rather than the car so prosecution would be difficult, and the same legislation applied to the lycra warriors would have to be applied to small children on tricycles which would be absurd.
Its a tricky one to sort, and you can see how tricky when people immediately pour scorn on anyone who highlights it as a problem, and immediately jump to defend even quite ridiculously unacceptable cycling behaviour.
The few I see in walkman mode on a single track road like the OP, seem to have no idea theres anything behind them and if they do, no idea it could be courteous to move over a while to let anything behind pass.
All you can do is wait till the road joins a bigger one, when they still seem oblivious when you pass.
Aside from speed and time it's no different though to the dithery bland silver grey shoe box on wheels that also travels in the same manner.
LJK Setright might have said something
Edited by saaby93 on Friday 26th August 14:23
I always give city cyclists plenty of room, just manners more than anything. However 1 thing that boils my blood, is when the lycra clad ones invade the country roads ride side by side up steep hills they cant manage more than a crawl on, you'll be making progess on a road only to turn a corner and be stuck behind a line of cars all waiting to get past these 2 muppets.
giantdefy said:
Edin430 said:
I'm now followed by police anywhere I drive.
No you aren'tEdin430 said:
There are a LOT more bad cyclists than there are good. .
' followed by the police everywhere you drive' - why are you a crime lord ? or is this jumped up hyperbole becasue of the way that do drive attracting adverse attention when you happen across a police vehicle that is not otherwise engaged on work of a higher priority than ensuring that the roads are not being used for criminality.
HTHSirSquidalot said:
I always give city cyclists plenty of room, just manners more than anything. However 1 thing that boils my blood, is when the lycra clad ones invade the country roads ride side by side up steep hills they cant manage more than a crawl on, you'll be making progess on a road only to turn a corner and be stuck behind a line of cars all waiting to get past these 2 muppets.
Hills are b
ds, they should be banned. From a Fen cyclist who can't get up fking hills to save his live 
Finlandia said:
yonex said:
Pure supposition and I totally disagree.
You clearly have an issue with 'most' cyclists.
According to stats it's not pure supposition.You clearly have an issue with 'most' cyclists.
Antony Moxey said:
he's just out for a ride and to enjoy the outdoors. He doesn't want cars passing too close, convoys stuck behind him for mile after mile getting ever closer and attempting ever more stupid overtakes
If that is the case, then why choose roads that lead to this very issue?We have these utterly stupid 2+1 roads here:
Why would anyone go cycling on a road like this? On the narrow 1 lane bits there isn't enough room to pass safely, especially not at the allowed speed of 100kph, yet there are cyclists on roads like this one.
Antony Moxey said:
Perhaps those are the only roads available to him. If he's on the road, which he's perfectly entitled to be, then everywhere you can go - with the exception of motorways - he can go too. Instead of chastising his choice of road, why don't YOU find an alternative?
There are cycle lanes or other smaller roads next to, or close to the 2+1 roads, for this very reason. Are you suggesting buses and other bigger vehicles use the cycle lanes then?walm said:
Finlandia said:
Are you suggesting buses and other bigger vehicles use the cycle lanes then?
Yes, very obviously, that was what he was suggesting.I am surprised you had to ask.
Finlandia said:
walm said:
Finlandia said:
Are you suggesting buses and other bigger vehicles use the cycle lanes then?
Yes, very obviously, that was what he was suggesting.I am surprised you had to ask.
"Asked and answered."
Finlandia said:
walm said:
Finlandia said:
Are you suggesting buses and other bigger vehicles use the cycle lanes then?
Yes, very obviously, that was what he was suggesting.I am surprised you had to ask.
Cycling in the UK is anything but easy, thanks to the 'get orf moi road' attitude of many British drivers.
I get this quite a lot on the way to work in the mornings, there is one section of narrow NSL road with a signposted cycle path/foot path next to it but every morning I have to try to over take 4 or 5 cyclists who chose to use the road and give you aggro if you don't give them plenty of room. Frustrating.
walm said:
Finlandia said:
walm said:
Finlandia said:
Are you suggesting buses and other bigger vehicles use the cycle lanes then?
Yes, very obviously, that was what he was suggesting.I am surprised you had to ask.
"Asked and answered."
Even if a thing is not against the law (we can't have laws against everything, can we?), it's not always a good idea to go ahead with it.
BGarside said:
Experienced cyclists probably do, but sometimes it gets a bit tiring going miles out of your way to avoid direct routes when you just want to get somewhere. In general I spent most of my Tim being forced to cycle on rough, crud-strewn, potholed country lanes in order to avoid idiots in cars using all the decent roads, often going miles out of my way in the process.
Cycling in the UK is anything but easy, thanks to the 'get orf moi road' attitude of many British drivers.
That is not the case here though, there are alternative ways, just as along Mways as well, for the traffic that is not allowed on such roads. Cycling in the UK is anything but easy, thanks to the 'get orf moi road' attitude of many British drivers.
Just now checked the legislation, and it seems that "motortrafikled" (a sort of Mway with only a barrier as separation between oncoming traffic) are not for pedestrians, cyclists and mopeds. Many 2+1 roads are classed as "motortrafikled" but not all, even if they all are designed as one, so that's all clear then...
Edited by Finlandia on Friday 26th August 17:22
yonex said:
Finlandia said:
yonex said:
Pure supposition and I totally disagree.
You clearly have an issue with 'most' cyclists.
According to stats it's not pure supposition.You clearly have an issue with 'most' cyclists.
Cyklister ligger i topp bland alla trafikanter vad gäller trafikolyckor, med både stora och små skador. Det är ett dyrt problem för samhället, säger en cykelpolis.
Google translate: Cyclists are at the top among all road users regarding traffic accidents, with both large and small injuries. It is an expensive problem for society, says a bicycle police.
Nyligen publicerade Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap (MSB) en rapport som visade att cykelolyckor som slutar med allvarliga skador är vanligare än man tidigare trott.
Årligen behöver 3 500 personer vårdas på sjukhus i mer än ett dygn efter cykelolyckor. Totalt söker 23 000 cyklande svenskar varje år sjukhusvård, visar studien.
Google translate: Recently Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) published a report showed that bicycle accidents ending in serious injuries are more common than previously thought.
Annually 3 500 cyclists are being treated in hospital for more than a 24 hours after bicycle accidents. A total of 23 000 cyclists are seeking treatment every year, the study shows.
http://www.nyteknik.se/fordon/cyklister-toppar-oly...
Finlandia said:
Antony Moxey said:
Perhaps those are the only roads available to him. If he's on the road, which he's perfectly entitled to be, then everywhere you can go - with the exception of motorways - he can go too. Instead of chastising his choice of road, why don't YOU find an alternative?
There are cycle lanes or other smaller roads next to, or close to the 2+1 roads, for this very reason. Are you suggesting buses and other bigger vehicles use the cycle lanes then?That is entirely down to the other road users' mentalities and ability and behaviour behind the wheel. On my bike I can guarantee I've not held anyone up for more than a couple of hundred yards at best, and can also guarantee that when driving cyclists haven't held me up for more than a couple of hundred yards at best.
Live with it, stop making up hypothetical situations to try and prove that you're being deliberately held up and get on with it - cyclists won't be leaving the roads any time soon so winding yourself up about hold ups that in reality don't really exist does no-one any good whatsoever.
Finlandia said:
I already did present the numbers in previous posts.
Årligen behöver 3 500
Of what, 7000-8000 injuries, 200-300 involving commercial vehicles and 300-400 motorist deaths? Årligen behöver 3 500
You're clutching at straws. As has been said get over it, you're going to be living with cyclists and other traffic until you stop driving.
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